Means for handling pulverulent or granular material and the like



NOV. 12, 1935. a c WOODRUFF 2,020,628 I MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheetl g INVENTOR Nov. 12, 1935. G. c. WOODRUFF MEAN S FCR HANDLING PULVERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND IHEI LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR I v c a JM A TTORNEY Nov. 12, 1935. a. c. WOODRUFF MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVEHULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Fil ed Feb. 9, 195 4 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR c C?) I I ATTORNEY Nov. 12; 1935. G. c. WOODRUFF 2,020,628

MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE 'Filed Feb. 9, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y Nov. 12, 1935. G. c. WOODRUFF 2,020,623

MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z C omvmon A TTORNE Y Nov. 12, 1935. GLQ woo 2,020,628

9 MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULEINT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1934 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 12, 1935. G, C, WOODRUFF 2,020,628

MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet M INVENTOR C WM A TTORNE Y V Patented Nov. 12, 1935 PATENT 'OFFICE MEANS FOR HANDLING PULVERULENT OB- GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE Graham 0. Woodrufi, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. C. L. Corporation, a corporation of.

Delaware Application February 9, 1934, Serial No. 710,577

Claims.

This invention relates to a novel method of and "means for handling and transporting flour, malt, cement, wheat, coal, seed and other pulverulent, granular or like materials of a solid but fluent 5 character and capable of being forced through suitable conductors by the action of air under pressure. More particularly the invention relates to a method and means whereby commodities of v the character described may be loaded into transport receptacles, conveyed from the loading point to a destination point, and unloaded from the receptacles and into suitable receivers at the destination point, in such a manner as to greatly reduce the cost oi transportation and labor in handling, while protecting the commodities from contamination and from various other losses commonly sustained while such commodities are in transit.

The primary object of' the invention is to provide a method whereby flour, cement, powdered coal and other similar pulverulent or granular materials may be shipped from place to place with great economy and advantage to consignors, consignees and transportation companies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method whereby flour and like materials may be shipped in bulk so as to avoid the necessity of packaging the same in sacks or bags, and the loss of time, labor and other expenses incident thereto, and in such manner as to aerate the material in its course of transfer,- so as to prevent the material from packing too solidly or' densely in transit, as well as to obviate the necessity of aerating-the material. as is required with some materials, such to its predestined use. p

' A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of and means for transporting materials, such as flour, liable to be contaminated or damaged by insects in storage or transit, whereby such materials will be protected against the access thereto of foreign materials or by the ravages of insect life.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means of a simple, efficient and reliable character for carrying the aforesaid objects or the invention into practical efiect.

' In the accompanying drawings, showing certain m'eans'for loading, unloading and transporting materials in accordance with my invention, and which are shown herein for purposes or exemplification,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation 01' a container freight- 5 car carrying transport containers constructed in as flour, for example, before such material is put accordance with the invention for transporting flour and like commodities, and showing the same as arranged at a shipping point for the loading of the containers with the material beingtransported. 5

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the container car, containers and loading means shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a container car arrangedat a delivery point for an unloading action and showing the air supply and unloading l0 conductors of a consignees stationary plant as employed for an unloading action, and also showing a portable air compressor in position to be available for use if required.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the container car 15 and battery of containers thereon looking toward the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1.

-Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the top of one of the containers.

Fig. '7 is a similar section through the bottom of one of the containers.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is aview similar to Fig. 5 showing a modi- 25 flcation.

Fig. 10,is a view of a motor truck which may be used as a transport vehicle in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a motor truck with 30 trailer adapted for use for the same purpose.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of acontainer car and containers and a trailer truck of the type shown in Fig. 11, illustrating the use of a master container on the truck to receive material from a 35,

" container. on the car'.

Fig. 13 is a view showing the trailer. truck with master container in delivery position for unloading the material from the master container to a consignees storage bin.

Fig. 14 is a view illustrating an arrangement of storage bin which may be located in a bakery to receive. flour from a transport container, together with means for delivering the flour by air pressure therefrom to mixers and aerating the flour during the delivery action.

In carrying my invention into practice the material to be conveyed from one point to another is designed to be shipped in air-tight containers I, mounted for transport purposes on a container car or a container truck oi either of the forms herein disclosed, which container is provided with means whereby it may be loaded with the material by either gravity or air pressure and also provided with means whereby the material may be discharged therefrom by air pressure through suitable discharge conductors. A longitudinal row or group of such containers I may be mounted in practice upon a container car 2 in such manner that the units may be individually reached in a ready and convenient manner for loading and unloading purposes. The car 2 herein shown is a container car of -gon .dola type, having a floor 3 on which the containers I rest and provided with side and end walls 4 and 5 which are of sufficient height 'to prevent displacement of the containers from the car even in the event that any of the individual containers should become unfastened in transit. The car, however, may be one of fiat or platform type having suitable means for securing the containers to its floor or platform. The containers may be of any suitable size and capacity and they may be arranged in longitudinal alinement, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 12, allowing a certain number of containers, six for example, as shown in the present instance, to be mounted on a car. The containers, however, may be set somewhat closer together. than shownin Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 12, and arranged in staggered relation, as shown in Fig. 9, so that a similar number of containers of larger diameter and greater capacity may be mounted on a car having the same amount of available fioor space.

Each container I comprises a cylindrical vessel, built as a pressure vessel, and consists of a cylindrical shell having a hopper bottom 6 and a dished head I, all strongly welded together. To enable this'container vessel to be firmly supported on the car'floor 3, the cylindrical shell is extended downwardly in the form of a cylindrical base I forming a compartment '8 about the conical portion of'the tank. This compartment is conveniently accessible through an opening 9 provided in one of its sides, which opening may be or not, as desired, closed by a hinged or other suitably mounted door. The parts 6 and I of the container are stiffened by suitable gussets I and the lower edge of' the part 'I' is provided with suitable guiding and positioning retainers II to engage segmental holding brackets l2 inthe car floor, whereby the containers, which are also adapted to engage retainer brackets l2 on the sides of the car, will be held in fixed position and against rotational shifting while the car is in transit, but'at the same time will be free from positive fastening connection with the car so that the containers are readily removable from the car whenever desired. At its top each container is provided with lifting links or loops I3 by means of which they may be engaged by a lifting crane or other hoisting apparatus forconvenient transfer from the car to a loading platform, or vice versa, or between a car or loading platform and a. ship, or between a car or ship and a transportation truck, thus allowing of the ready transfer of loaded or unloaded containers between stationary platforms or boxes at loading points and transportation vehicles, or between trans portation vehicles of difierent character.

Each container I is provided at its top with a main central filling mouth. or inlet I4 and with v vides an inlet of comparatively large size adapting the container to be filled by gravity from 9.

feed chute or the like, while the inlet I is 'of relatively smaller size and designed to receive a flexible tube or conductor of suitable size through which the container may be filled, when occasion requires, through such conductor by airpressure. 5

. discharged from the container through an outlet in its hopper bottom 6, with which outlet is connected a discharge fitting l8 adapted for the connection therewith of a suitable discharge conductor. Arranged in the compartment 8 so as to be housed and protected thereby may be suitable parts or fittings of an air supply system. The parts or fittings shown as applied to each tank consist of an air feed pipe I9 having a valved inlet connection and from which pipe I9 lead 20 supply branches 2| and 22 connected respectively with the hopper bottom 6 and the interior of the container at the top thereof, whereby air under pressure may be simultaneously supplied to the hopper bottom to promote the discharge 25 of the material through the outlet connection I I8 and supplied at the top of the container to place a proper head pressure on the body of the material therein. A valve 23 may be placed in the pipe I9 at its point of connection with the 80 branch 22 to regulate the flow of air through such branch and to cut off the flow wheneverrlesired. The pressure of the air supplied from a suitable source through the pipe I9 may be such as in practice is suitable for discharging the material through a discharge conductor ofa re-, quired given size and atany desired or predetermined rate. In practice the pressure may be such as is necessary to convey the material through a comparatively long conductor when a receiving bin or the like at a destination point is disposed some distance from the container from which the material is being discharged. The doorway or access opening in the base, of each container is arranged in practiceso as to face an access opening in one of the sides of the car 2 ,so that convenient access may be obtained to the hopper outlet and fixtures, while at the same time the fixtures applied to the base of the container will be protected against injury by contact with extraneous objects in the travel of the container car. i

Figs. 1 and 2 show a manner of loading a battery of containers I on a container car 2 disposed on a side track alongside a shippers mill 25 for the loading of the containers with flour or a like product which is to be shipped from the consignor miller to a storage warehouse, bakery establishment or other consignee at amore or less distant point. The containers when so disposed may be individually or simultaneously filled through one or more discharge chutes 26 con- "nected with theirmain filling mouths or inlets,

which mouths or inlets of the containers are closed and sealed after the containers are filled. 5 The loaded containers on the car 2 are then transported to the destination point where the containers, or one or more of them, are to be imloaded. Fig. 3 shows the car 2 arranged on a side track alongside a consignees storage ware- 7 house orbakery 21 having therein a storage bin 28 with which connects a filling pipe 29 provided with a valved inlet connection 39 located outside the building, to which connection may be coupled a flexible unloading pipe or tube 3| designed to be attached to the discharge outlet connection of any one of the containers I. Figij3 alsoshows an air pressure supply pipe 32 leading from a valved connection 33 forming part 5 bfla permanent compressed air supply equiprrie nt at the consignees plant, which pipe is connected with the air inlet connection 20 of the air supply pipe ll! of the container which is to be unloaded for the supply of air under pressure thereto. The proper valves being open for the feed of air to the'container from the supply plant, the contents of the tank will be forced from the container into the pipe 3i and from the latter through the pipe 29 into the storage bin or receiver 28, it being understood that in this operation the air through the pipe connection 2| will immediately force the material through the out-- let connection l8, while the air supplied through the pipe connection 22 will enter the top of the tank and prevent the formation of any vacuum therein and supply a head pressure to loosen up and force the material down toward the bottom of the container to secure its free discharge. In this manner the containers, or any number of them to be unloaded at the same point, may be easily and quickly relieved of their contents, and bythe useof a proper number of supply connections all or any suitable number of the containers may be unloaded at one and the same time.

The above-described mode of delivery of the material directly from containers on a transport freight car applies, of course, under conditions where the consignees plant is provided with a permanent air compressor installation for the purpose of supplying the necessary air feed pressure. In case, however, that the plant is not supplied with a fixed and permanent air pressure supply equipment, a portable air compressor 34 of the type shown in Fig. 3 may be used. This may be in the form of a hand or motor propelled truck 35 provided thereon with an air compressor driven by a contained internal combustion or electric motor, and having a suitably controlled air outlet for attachment of an air supply pipe 36 designed to be connected with the air inlet connection 20 of the container, which type of compressor may be used at different points in a consignees plant when side tracks are available at one or morepoints for loading operations at such points and may be stored at any convenient place within the plant when not in use.

It is necessary, however, that such a system of loading, unloading and transporting commodities of the character set forth be sufficiently flexible to enable it to be employed under other conditions, as where, for example, there is no side track or other track connection available for running the container car to the consignees plant, or where no supply of compressed air is available at the plant, or where compressed air may be available at the plant for use but no side track is available and it is desired to unload the containers directly in a railroad yard and convey the material therefrom to the plant or it is desired, in lieu thereof, to transport the containers from the railroad car to the c'onsignees plant for the unloading operation. In order to enable these various requirements to be met, I may provide, as shown in Fig. 10, a transport motor truck 31 carrying an air compressor 38 operated by the motor thereof and the frame or chassis 39 of which is adapted to support a master container la, similar in type to the containers l, or, in lieu thereof, and as shown in Fig. 11, I may provide a motor truck 40 of tractor type having mounted terial to the consignees bin or receiver.

thereon a compressor II which may be driven either by the engine thereof or by an independent engine and which is adapted for the connection therewith of a trailer 42 on which a master container lb similar to the containers 1 or la may be mounted. The motor truck of either type may be used for individually transporting the containers I from the car 2 to a consignees plant or place of destination, when there are no trackage accommodations at the destination point and, if desired, the compressed air equipment of the truck may be employed at the destination point or consignees plant for the purpose of discharging the material from the container thereon into the bin or other receptacle at the plant. The use of a master container in place of a regular or conventional container la may be optional in many cases and obligatory in others, obligatory when it is necessary, because of limitations of motor truck width, not admitting of the reception thereon of a regular container, to substitute therefor a master container which is of less diameter than a regular container but of greater height or otherwise proportioned to have the same receiving capacity. Either 'form of motor truck transport may be adapted for use interchangeably with regular containers or a special or master container to render the system sufficiently applicable to meet various contingencies in service. Where a master container la or lb is used on the transport truck, there will, of necessity, be an intermediate transfer of material from a container on the container car to the master container before delivery of the ma- For the purpose of enabling this transfer action from the car container to the master container to be effected the air compressor apparatus of the truck may be employed to furnish the air under pressure through a flexible pipe 43 to the inlet of the container which is to be unloaded, while a flexible unloading pipe M is used to connect the discharge outlet of the car container with the auxiliary inlet l 5 of the master container on the truck through which latter the master container will be filled. The truck bearing the master con tainer will then convey its load to thepoint of destination or consignees plant, where the load may be discharged from the master container in the manner illustrated in Fig. 13. In effecting this discharge of the load from the master container lb to the bin or receptacle 2B in the consignees plant, the compressor on the truck is connected by the pipe 43 to the air pipe on the master container and an unloading pipe 45 is employed to connect the container outlet with the filling pipe 29 so that compressed air will be supplied from the truck compressor to discharge the load form the master container into the bin or eceptacle.

The use of my system of unloading, transporting and loading receptacles will be found especially advantageous in certain respects in {the transportation of wheat and other flour from a mill or storage point to a bakery establishment o: the like Where it is to be utilized for baking into bread or for other purposes.

not desirably be shipped in the ordinary manner in bulk, and it is therefore necessary to package it and ship it either in paper bags or in bags of gunnysack or similar material. This involves the expense attached to the cost of the bags, which is wholly lost in the case of paper bags, as well as the expense of loading the flour into and Wheat and other flour, for sanitary and other reasons, can

aging operations and allowing the flour to be shipped in bulk at greatly decreased expense. Moreover, large losses which are sustained in the shipment of flour and like materials in bags,

' due to damages of various kinds are avoided, as

the material is shipped in air-tight containers from the shipping to the destination point and delivery at the delivery point into a receiving receptaclewithout being subject to physical or other damage or tocontamination of any sort from exposure.

Fig. 14 of the drawings shows another advantagesecured by my invention in the handling of flour in a bakery while in storage in the bins 28 thereof and during transportation from the bins to mixers 46 or other flour treatment or bread making apparatus. Flour which is packed for transportation or storage for .any material period tends to pack more or less solidly, for which reason it must be loosened up and aerated in the bakery prior to use. In such packed or solid condition it is also subject to heating, with the result of promoting and increasing the growth and spread of any insect life which may exist therein. By packing and shipping the flour in the pressure containers embodying .my invention and by the compressed air method of discharging the flour from the containers, or packing it therein, and conveying it under the air pressure to points desired, the packed flour is broken up and loosened toa very effective degree and is aerated during this action, by which the process of aging the flour is also promoted and hastened, so that the flour supplied to the storage'bins 28 at the bakery plant will be placed primarily in fine condition for immediate use if desired. This aeration of the flour, whereby all particles of the flour are turned and exposed to the air streams, also serves to cool the flour and to inhibit any growth or spread of insect life therein. Fig. 14 of the drawings shows that this desirable feature and aeration principle may be employed in the bakery and that the compressed air supplying plant employed in the bakery for unloading, the delivered flour from the containers to the bins may also be used for storing up the flour in the bins and discharging it under pressure to the mixers, in which operation it will be loosened and aerated again prior to use. As shown in Fig. 14, the bin 28 is provided with discharge pipes 41 leading from its hopper bottom to the several mixers and provided with valve controlled discharge nozzles :18 at their delivery ends. These nozzles may include or have incorporated therein suitable means for increasing the aerating action of the air on the flour if desired. As here shown also a compressed air supply pipe 49 is provided, which may lead from a suitably located compressor, and from which extend branch pipes 50 and 5! having suitable controlling valves 52 therein for conducting the air to the top and bottom of the storage bin 28 for action on the flour in the manner previously stated with reference to the supply of air to the containers. By this means the trouble and expense of aerating the hour at the bakery and as an operation supplemental to its feed action, is avoided and the flour automatically maintained in best condition for. use during and as an automatic part of the work of handling the same.

The advantages gained in the handling of flour by my improved method and apparatus may also be gained to a greater or less degree in the handling of other-materials, such as grain, seed, malt and other like commodities, as well as in the handling of powdered coal which tends to pack and heat and burn by spontaneous combustion, the operation of feeding and aerating the material by the action of compressed air tending in all such cases not only to loosen up the .material but to keep it from heating. The same advantage gained in thetransportation of flour in sealed receptacles also applies to the shipment of grain, seed,'malt and like products, in' that the material is isolated against exposure to atmospheric conditions or to the access of foreign materials thereto, so that it will not only be protected during transit from contamination and the ravages of insects, but also from physical damage and deterioration liable to be caused by exposure.

Other advantages of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by railroads and shippers and users of goods of the character mentioned and of other similar goods. It will be evident that an advantage of importance gained is that the system of packing and transporting the material is exceedingly flexible and; takes care of all required conditions, in enabling the ma-u teriai either to be directly transported from. a source of origin to a point of use in a single container and with but one unloading action, or in enabling materials to be shipped, without loading change, and with but' one transport vehicle change, between a shipping point and a destination point, and in reducing the transfer of material from one container to another to a single transfer in which material, is not exposed so as to be subject toinjury, where railroad andcompressed air supply facilities are not immediately available at the destination point. The system, in addition to securing the various economies above mentioned, is also economical in reducing consignees, and even less than single container lots, so that given amounts of material stored in a container may be delivered to different consignees by properly governing the packing or controlling the discharge of the material.

While the particular method disclosed, and means for carrying the same into practical effect, is preferred, it will, of course, be understood that variations in the steps of the method and changes in the mechanical agencies employed may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit 'or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:--

1. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, the combination of a transport vehicle having a supporting surface and side and end walls, at least one of said side walls having openings therein at spaced intervals,

a series of containers adapted to rest on said supporting surface in transverse alinement with said openings in the side wall, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a hopper outlet at its bottom anda filling inlet at its top, with means for sealing said inlet and outlet, each container having a base portion surrounding its hopper bottom and forming a compartment enclosing the same, said base portions of the containers being provided with access openings communicating with said compartments and accessible through the openings in the side of the transport vehicle.

2. In an apparatus for shipping flour or other pulverulent, granular or similar materials, a shipping container comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical pressure vessel having a hopper outlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top,

means for sealing said inlet and outlet, the container having a base portion surrounding its hopper bottom and forming a compartment enclosing the same, said base portion of the container be-' ing provided with an access opening communicating with said compartment, an air supply conductor having a connection for coupling it to an air supply pipe and provided with branches, one extending to and in communication with the top of the container and the other extending through said access opening to and communicating with the hopper bottom thereof, and a valve in said pipe in proximity to said access opening.

3. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, a transport vehicle having a supporting surface bounded by side and end walls, one of said side walls having an access opening therein, a pressure container adapted to rest on said supporting surface and having a hopper outlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, means for sealing said inlet and outlet, said container having a base portion surrounding its hopper bottom and forming a compartment enclosing the same, said base portion being formed with an access opening communicating with said compartment, air pressure supply means on the container for supplying air under pressure to the top of the container and to the hopper outlet, and positioning means on the transport vehicle and container for disposing the container with its access opening in register with the access opening in the side wall of the vehicle.

4. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, a transport vehicle having a supporting surface bounded by side and end walls, one of said side Walls having an access opening therein, a *pressure container adapted to rest on said supporting surface and having a hopper outlet .at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, means for sealing said inlet and j outlet, said container having a base portion .sur-

rounding its hopper bottom and forming a compartinent enclosing the same, said base portion being formed with an access opening communicating with said compartment, air pressure supply means on the container for supplying air under pressure to the top of the container and to the hopper outlet, and positioning means on the transport vehicle and container for disposing the container with its access opening in register with the access opening in the side wall of the vehicle, said positioning means comprising coacting members on the vehicle and container operating also to prevent rotary shifting movement of the container.

5.'In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, a pressure container comprising a vertically disposed cylindrical body having a filling inlet at its top and provided with a hopper bottom formed with a discharge outlet, the container body being also provided with a base portion surrounding the hopperbottom and forming a compartment enclosing the same, said base portion being provided with an access opening communicating with the compartment, an air pressure supply conductor on the container having an inlet for coupling connection with the source of air pressure supply and a pair of branch pipes, one leading to and communicating with the top of the container and the other extending through said access opening and communicating with the hopper bottom,'and a control valve arranged in the first-named branch pipe adjacent to said access opening.

6. In an apparatus for transporting pulverulent, granular and similar materials, and in combination with a transport vehicle having a supporting surface and a side wall provided with an access opening, a container for transport by said vehicle comprising an upright pressure shell having a filling inlet at its top and a discharge outlet at its bottom, said outlet having a connection for coupling it with a discharge conductor, said container adapted to be rested on said supporting surface of the vehicle with its outlet facing the access opening in' the side Wall, an air supply pipe on the shell having an air inlet located adjacent to said outlet for connection with a compressed air supply conductor and provided with branches, one leading therefrom to the top of. the shell and the other leading therefrom to and communicating with the bottom of the shell in the region of its discharge outlet, and valve means located in the piping adjacent to the discharge outlet so as to be accessible through the access opening in the side wall of the vehicle for controlling the flow of air through said air supply pipe and branches and operative to connect the air supply pipe solely with one of said branches or to simultaneously connect the air supply pipe with both branches.

'7. In an apparatus for transporting pulverulent, granular and similar materials, and in combination with a transport vehicle having a supporting surface and a side wall provided with an access opening, a container for transport by said vehicle comprising an upright pressure shell having a filling inlet at its top and a discharge outlet at its bottom, said outlet having a connection for coupling with a discharge conductor, said container adapted to be rested on said supporting surface of the vehicle with its outlet facing the access opening in the side wall, an air supply pipe on the shell having an air inlet located adjacent to the discharge outlet for connection with a compressed air supply conductor and provided with branches, one leading therefrom to and communicating with the top of the shell and the other leading therefrom to and communicating with the bottom of the shell in the region of its discharge outlet, and valve means located in the piping adjacent to the discharge outlet so as to be accessible through the access opening in the sidewall of the vehicle for controlling the flow of air through said air supply pipe and branches and operative to connect the air supply pipe solely with the secondnamed branch or to connect the air supply pipe simultaneously with both branches. 7

8. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent,

granular and similar materials, the combination [5 of a transport vehicle having a supporting surface, and walls at opposite sides thereof, at least one of said side walls having openings therein at intervals, a series of containers adapted tores't on said supporting surface in transverse alinement with said openings in the side wall, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a dischargeoutlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, with means for sealing said inlet and outlet and valved air conductors for supplying air under pressure to the container for discharge of. the material through said outlet, and guiding and positioning :means for guiding each container vertically into of a transport vehicle having a supporting surface, and walls at opposite sides thereof, at least one of said side walls having openings therein at spaced intervals, a series of containers adapted to rest on said supporting surface in transverse alinement with said openings in. the side wall, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a discharge outlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, with means for sealing said inlet and outlet and valved air conductors for supplying air under pressure to the container for discharge of the material through said outlet, and interengaging guiding and positioning elements, on the vehicle and each container respectively, whereby the container may be guided vertically into and out of position on the vehicle and disposed so that its discharge outlet will be located in alinement with an opening in the side wall of the vehicle, said guiding and positioning means acting to hold the'container from rotation and from shifting longitudinally or transversely of the vehicle from such position.

10. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, a transport vehicle having a floor and opposed side walls having.

access openings therein, removable upright containers interchangeable with other like containers adapted to be rested on the floor of the vehicle between said walls, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a filling inlet at its top and a lateral discharge outlet at its bottom, and means for sealing the same,

and coacting interengaging guiding and positioning elements on the car and containers for removably holding the containers against rotation and lateral or longitudinal shifting movements on the vehicle and in such gaged relation to the access openings that the lateral outlet of each,container registers with an access opening in a side wall of the vehicle.

v v GRAHAM C. WOODRUFFL DISCLAIMER ber .12, 1935.

, 2,020,628.Graham O. Woodrufl, Bronxville, N. Y. MEANS FOR HANDLING PUL- VERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE.

Patent dated Novem- Disclaimer filed March 16, 1937, by the patentee; the

assignee, The L. O. L. Corporation, concurring. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 2 and 5 of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette April 13, 1987.]

' of a transport vehicle having a supporting surface, and walls at opposite sides thereof, at least one of said side walls having openings therein at intervals, a series of containers adapted tores't on said supporting surface in transverse alinement with said openings in the side wall, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a dischargeoutlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, with means for sealing said inlet and outlet and valved air conductors for supplying air under pressure to the container for discharge of. the material through said outlet, and guiding and positioning :means for guiding each container vertically into of a transport vehicle having a supporting surface, and walls at opposite sides thereof, at least one of said side walls having openings therein at spaced intervals, a series of containers adapted to rest on said supporting surface in transverse alinement with said openings in. the side wall, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a discharge outlet at its bottom and a filling inlet at its top, with means for sealing said inlet and outlet and valved air conductors for supplying air under pressure to the container for discharge of the material through said outlet, and interengaging guiding and positioning elements, on the vehicle and each container respectively, whereby the container may be guided vertically into and out of position on the vehicle and disposed so that its discharge outlet will be located in alinement with an opening in the side wall of the vehicle, said guiding and positioning means acting to hold the'container from rotation and from shifting longitudinally or transversely of the vehicle from such position.

10. In an apparatus for shipping pulverulent, granular and similar materials, a transport vehicle having a floor and opposed side walls having.

access openings therein, removable upright containers interchangeable with other like containers adapted to be rested on the floor of the vehicle between said walls, each of said containers comprising a cylindrical pressure vessel having a filling inlet at its top and a lateral discharge outlet at its bottom, and means for sealing the same,

and coacting interengaging guiding and positioning elements on the car and containers for removably holding the containers against rotation and lateral or longitudinal shifting movements on the vehicle and in such gaged relation to the access openings that the lateral outlet of each,container registers with an access opening in a side wall of the vehicle.

v v GRAHAM C. WOODRUFFL DISCLAIMER ber .12, 1935.

, 2,020,628.Graham O. Woodrufl, Bronxville, N. Y. MEANS FOR HANDLING PUL- VERULENT OR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE.

Patent dated Novem- Disclaimer filed March 16, 1937, by the patentee; the

assignee, The L. O. L. Corporation, concurring. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 2 and 5 of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette April 13, 1987.] 

